Careiage-seat



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

GEO. R. COMSTOCK, OF MANHEIM, NEW YORK.

CARRIAGE-SEAT.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 12,273, dated January 23, 1855.v

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. CoMsTocK, of Manheim, Herkimer county,Statey of New York, have invented a new and Improved Method ofConstructing the Bodies and the ySeats of Two-Wheeled Carriages, which Iweight of its load upon the horse throughv the shafts, when the carriageis standing or moving upon level ground, whenever the ground varies fromthat level, the pressure is varied upon the shafts so as to aectdisadvantageously the draft of the horse, that is when the carriage isgoing up ascending ground, t-he load will be thrown behind theperpendicular and when going down descending ground, before theperpendicular, in the first case taking part of the weight off from, andin the secondvcase adding to the weight from the horse. Now -it is toremedy this diiiiculty and to effect as nearly as may be an equalizationof the pressure upon the horse that my invention is intended to effect.p

Figure 1 represents a perspective View of a gig body and seat madeaccording to my plan. Fig. 2 a diagram to show the eifectof shifting theseat in different positions of the vehicle.

A, A, A, A, shows an ordinary gigbody, the seat or upper body B, B,being made separate from the body, and attached to it by loopsunderneath it which slide upon rods, the ends of which are shown in thedrawing at C C, and extend from the front to the rear of the upper partof the box. To the underside of the seat are attached two racks, onenear each end of the same, (the further one only is shown in the drawingat r.) Below the seat and extending from side to side, is a shaft S towhich under each rack is a toothed quadrant Q working into the racks.The shaft S is operated by a lever L, attached near the ofi' endthereof, so as to be conveniently operated by the right-hand of thedriver. The lever moves in a slot D along the upper edge of the arm ofthe seat, being held bystop-notches a, b, 0, inthe proper position forthe disposition of the seat, when in the notch. a holding the same asfar back as it can be moved, when in cas far forward, and when in b inthe proper position for the disposition of the load when traveling onlevel ground. When moving' on Vrising ground the lever is to be thrownfor ward, by which the lo-ad will be brought directly above theaxle.When moving down descending ground the lever is to'be thrown back bywhich the same result will be eected and the load maintained directlyover the axle, as shown in Fig. 2 where the block lives y.

represent the gig onan ascending grade, with the seat thrown back, andthe red lines, the gig on a descending grade, each grade with the seatthrown forward. A B the line perpendic= ular to the axis of the wheel.It will be seen that in the different positions the point C, assumed tobe the center of gravity of the load is directly in the line A, B. Thead vantage of this arrangement in relieving the horse from the annoyanceand inconvenience of a load varying with every inequality of the ground,will be appreciated by every one practised in the use of animals ofburden, with loaded carriages.

I claim- The method of adjustingthe load carried in two wheeledvehicles, so as to keep the pressure upon the animal drawing the same,equal or nearly so, whether the carriage be moving upon level or unevenground, by shifting the seat, or upper body backward or forward using anaxis with toothed quadrants operating upon toothed racks, attachedunderneath said seat-or body, or by the vuse of any mechanicalequivalent.) Said axis being maneuvered by a lever which passes upthrough the arm of the seat or upper body,

substantially as set forth in the within specification the saidmechanical apparatus being in combination with the carriage body andseat.

v GEORGE R. COMSTOCK.

Witnesses RICHARD PATRICK DE WI'rr, W. C. MILLER.

